Biofeedback treatment of foot-drop after stroke compared with standard rehabilitation technique: effects on voluntary control and strength

Abstract

The effectiveness of biofeedback training was compared to conventional physical therapy training in 20 adult hemiparetic patients with chronic foot-drop. They were randomly placed into two groups of ten patients each: the first group treated over five weeks with therapeutic exercise and the second group treated over five weeks with therapeutic exercise plus biofeedback training. In the second group receiving the biofeedback training the increase in both strength and range of motion was approximately twice as great as in the first group. The improvement displayed by even the first group of patients suggests that a potential for functional improvement exists that is often unexploited. The addition of biofeedback facilitates the process. Four patients in the biofeedback group achieved and retained conscious control of dorsiflexion; three of them are now able to walk without the use of the short leg brace.